


The King and His Warlock

by BeneaththeHalo



Series: Merthur Party [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows, M/M, Merthur Party, Merthur Party 2013, Team Orange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 02:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1101465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeneaththeHalo/pseuds/BeneaththeHalo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One or both of them could die. That they both knew; that they both had accepted. But they were the Once and Future King and the greatest sorcerer ever to walk the earth; they knew that they could do this. They had the power and the belief and the determination to win. They had each other. And that was enough.<br/>My submission for Merthur Party 2013 Prompt 3- The Once and Future King and the Greatest Sorcerer. Go Team Orange!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The King and His Warlock

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that the sections in italics are flashbacks; those in normal font are present time.

“Merlin, on your left!” Arthur cried. Merlin didn’t even turn around; he held out a hand, his eyes flashing that golden colour, and the man advancing on him crumpled where he was. “Geez, Merlin, you’ve got to watch yourself as well!” Arthur turned, running Excalibur through a soldier that was about to attack him before turning back to Merlin. “I’m not going to see _everyone_ that’s trying to get to you!”

“They won’t get to me,” Merlin replied simply. As if to illustrate this, he held up a hand, and a man that was sneaking up behind him fell to the ground, dead. There was no way Merlin had seen the man coming, and yet he knew that he was there. “See?”

“Whatever,” Arthur muttered, continuing to cut the enemy down with his sword. “How goes the rest of the battle?”

“Cover me,” Merlin whispered, closing his eyes so he could search. “We’re starting to get on top,” he said. “Gwaine and Percival somehow managed to find each other. Leon is… ah, there he is. He’s taken Elyan to the infirmary. He’s injured.”

“Injured? How bad?” Arthur asked, worried.

“A wound from a sword running up his leg,” said Merlin. “He’ll live. He may need magical assistance later though, to fight off infection. Gaius and Gwen are in the tent with him now, though.” Merlin opened his eyes again, grinning at Arthur even as he stopped a man who was about to kill the king. “Speaking of tents… I can’t stop thinking about what happened in the tent last night.”

“Is now _really_ the best time to talk about this?” Arthur asked. The current wave of enemy knights defeated, the two men began to press forward.

“Now could be the _only_ time we can talk about this,” said Merlin. “We could come across Morgana or Mordred, or both, at any moment. You said so yourself, last night: we could die at any today. Why wait?”

"Okay, you may have a point there," Arthur admitted. The truth was, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the tent either- in fact, he didn't think he'd _ever_ stop thinking about it.

 

_Merlin had come into Arthur's tent late that night, looking very wary. Arthur knew that the battle ahead would be a difficult one for the recently outed warlock; he would be putting everything he had not only into protecting the knights of Camelot, but trying to find and defeat both Morgana and Mordred._

_"Merlin, are you okay?" Arthur asked, stopping his pacing and turning to look at the other man._

_"Yeah, I'm fine," said Merlin, his voice slightly shaky. It was stronger, though, when he added, "I've spent today placing wards around the army and around the infirmary, just in case. And I've been resting, so you don't have to worry about me using too much energy and passing out during the battle."_

_"Good."_

_"I also put wards around you," Merlin admitted._

_"What?" Arthur gasped. "Merlin, no! You can't waste your energy putting wards around me! I can protect myself."_

_"It's too late, now," said Merlin. "It would cost me more energy to remove it. And even if I could, I wouldn't remove it. I can't risk it. I can't... I can't lose you, Arthur."_

 

"Do your wards still hold?" Arthur asked.

"I think so," Merlin replied. "I think I would know if they broke."

"Do my...?" Arthur began, but then he trailed off, just looking at Merlin.

"That, I'm sure of," said Merlin with conviction. "I can be more... focused with wards on an individual person. Plus, I've had more practice."

"How many times have you put wards on me without me knowing about it?" Arthur asked, the realisation hitting him.

"Enough," said Merlin. "Enough to be _sure_ that they've worked."

The two of them were alone now; it seemed that Morgana and Mordred's had retreated so they could regroup and attack again later. The knights of Camelot were around, but none of them were paying attention to the king and the warlock. And besides, they were certain they knew. They all knew. Merlin reached out, taking Arthur's hand in his own. Arthur, to his credit, squeezed it tightly, as if to reassure himself that Merlin was still there. That he was still alive.

“When _did_ you put wards on me?” Arthur asked, curious. “I didn’t feel anything.”

“You wouldn’t have, the first time, when I put wards around the army and the infirmary,” Merlin admitted. “ But I may have put more wards on you, _stronger ones,_ last night.I could feel my magic building in me, and it was so _strong_ , and my every thought was that I couldn’t lose you today. Those are probably the strongest wards I’ve ever placed. No harm will come to you today.”

 

_“You can’t think about things like that, Merlin,” said Arthur. “We both know the risks we’re taking. One or both of us could die tomorrow.”_

_“I know,” said Merlin. “But is it so wrong for me to take every precaution so I can at least try and stop that from happening?”_

_“No,” Arthur sighed. “No, it’s not. If I had the choice, you would be back at the castle, without any risk of being hurt. But I have no choice. Morgana and Mordred are too strong, and I need you here.”_

_“Even if I couldn’t help you, I wouldn’t have stayed behind,” said Merlin. “I wouldn’t have been able to stand it, being back at the castle without you, worrying about you, not knowing whether you were alive or dead.”_

_“Why Merlin, I didn’t know you cared so much,” said Arthur, trying to joke. His smile soon faded, however, when he saw the serious look on Merlin’s face._

_“I do care, Arthur. I care about you so much,” Merlin admitted. His voice was shaky with emotion, but Arthur could hear the conviction and honesty in what he was saying._

_Merlin reached out and took Arthur’s hand; the king stared at it, surprised, but did nothing. Merlin’s hand was warm and strong, but like his voice was shaking. “Merlin?” Arthur whispered, suddenly worried. “Merlin, what’s wrong?”_

_“Nothing,” said Merlin. “Everything. Arthur, I know I said there was no more secrets between us, but… there’s something I need to tell you.”_

 

“So what we did yesterday… it lead to you performing _stronger magic_?” said Arthur incredulously. “Maybe we should do that more often.”

“When we survive today, we will, Arthur,” said Merlin, a smile playing across his face. “We will.”

“Don’t you mean _if_ we survive?” said Arthur. “No matter how strong your wards are- and I have no doubt of their strength- there could be a way around them, and Morgana or Mordred could find it.”

“No, Arthur, I mean _when_. We will live. Because you’re the Once and Future King.”

“And you’re the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth,” Arthur finished, smiling. “Well, you’ve got that part right.”

 

_“Whatever it is, you know you can tell me, Merlin,” said Arthur. “I’m not going to do anything. I think I’ve proven that.”_

_“You have,” said Merlin. “Believe me, you have. That’s why I’m doing this. But I- I’m scared, Arthur.”_

_Now Arthur was worried. He had only seen Merlin this scared once before: right when he’d told Arthur his secret. Then, it hadn’t been Arthur finding out about him that had scared him. It had been_ losing _Arthur. “I’m not going anywhere,” Arthur whispered, tightening his grip on Merlin’s hand. It was now that he noticed how sweaty it was. Clammy. “Merlin, I’m not leaving you.”_

_“Good. Because I- I love you, Arthur Pendragon,” Merlin stammered. “I love you with everything I have- my heart, my magic, all of it. And if I die today, if I- if I lose you today, I just wanted you to know that.” Merlin made to walk away and pull his hand out of Arthur’s, but he found that he couldn’t. Arthur was holding on tight, tight enough that Merlin couldn’t move from where he stood. The two of them stared at each other, Merlin confused and scared, and Arthur… Arthur had used his grip on Merlin to pull him in closer, so there was barely an inch between them. “Arthur…”_

_“Merlin? For once in your life, shut up.” Arthur reached up with his free hand, tracing the contours of Merlin’s face. “Because I have secrets too.” Arthur leaned closer, closing the tiny gap between them…_

_And he kissed him._

 

“When my powers are at their strongest… no one can stop me,” Merlin admitted. He was almost sheepish in his admission, as if he felt _bad_ about having so much power at his fingertips, magic that was only his to control. Typical Merlin.

“And you, Arthur, are the greatest king this land has ever known,” Merlin continued. “You _will_ unite the lands of Albion, and you _will_ bring back peace and prosperity and magic. _That_ is what has been foretold, and _that_ is what will come to pass.”

“You’re awfully certain we will succeed all of a sudden,” Arthur noted. People had started to move around them, but Merlin and Arthur didn’t notice.

“I have to be,” said Merlin, watching Percival run past on his way to the infirmary out of the corner of his eye. “Sometimes, conviction and determination to succeed are all we have.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “You’re thinking about me naked, aren’t you?” he said.

Merlin blushed bright red. “Maybe.”

 

_Merlin used his free hand to push on Arthur’s chest, hard, so the king was forced to step back. “Arthur,” he said. “I need to be sure. I need to be sure you aren’t doing this just for me, because you fear one of us will die tomorrow and you want my last night to be a good one, or you’ll be dead and won’t have to worry about it. I need to know you want this too.”_

_“Merlin. Emrys,” said Arthur, using the name the druids called the warlock. “Whatever the hell other name people call you. I want this for_ me _.” As if for emphasis, Arthur tightly wound his fingers into Merlin’s hair. “I love you too, Merlin, and I want this for me, because one of us may die tomorrow and I won’t get another chance.”_

_The next several minutes were all flying clothes and tangled limbs, and Arthur taking Merlin, his warlock, his love, right there on the floor of his tent. He could feel the desperation and pent up need in Merlin as he moved faster and more erratically, and knew he was moving the same way. Right before Merlin came, though, magic burst forth- magic like Arthur had never seen before. It was golden and warm and_ mesmerising _, exactly like Merlin’s eyes. Exactly like Merlin himself._

_The magic swirled around the tent, filling it up and lighting it up like dragon fire, before going_ into _Arthur. He could feel it warming him, strengthening him, giving him the belief and courage that they could do this. That he wouldn’t die. That they would win._

 

“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” said Arthur. He was about to say something else, but he was stopped by Leon running up to them.

“Sire!” he cried. “Morgana and Mordred are attacking once more!”

Arthur looked across the battlefield- sure enough, the enemy army was approaching again. They looked like their numbers hadn’t dropped at all, and Arthur could see their dark magic, so unlike Merlin’s, building in the sky like black clouds. Most kings would’ve given up hope. But Arthur was no ordinary king. He was the Once and Future King. And he had the greatest warlock ever to walk the earth on his side. They could do this.

“To me!” Arthur called to his knights. Before they gathered around him, he looked once more at Merlin, relinquishing his hand. There were many I love you’s and discussion and rounds of sex on top of Arthur’s comfortable bed that needed to pass between them. But they could wait.

“For Camelot, and for Albion!” Arthur cried, drawing his sword and running towards Morgana’s army. As he ran, he could see lightning and fire building in the sky, pushing back the darkness, and he knew that it was Merlin. Maybe Merlin _was_ right. Maybe with their determination and their belief, they would win. For he was the Once and Future King, and Merlin was the greatest warlock ever to walk the earth.

And for Arthur, that was enough.


End file.
